Question and answers:

Q: I want to know about ‘Umrah in detail?

1 – Sincerity towards Allaah alone, i.e., it is done to seek the Countenance of Allaah and the Hereafter, and is not done to show off, to enhance one’s reputation or for worldly gain.

2 – Following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in word and deed. Following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) can only be achieved by knowing his Sunnah

Hence the one who wants to worship Allaah by doing any act of worship – Hajj or anything else – has to learn the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning it, so that his actions will be in accordance with the Sunnah.

We will sum up in these few lines the description of ‘Umrah as narrated in the Sunnah.

‘Umrah is composed of four things, namely: ihraam, circumambulation of the Sacred House (tawaaf), saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah, and shaving the head or cutting the hair.

1 – Ihraam.

Ihraam means having the intention of starting the rituals of Hajj or ‘Umrah.

When the pilgrim wants to enter ihraam, he should change his clothes and do ghusl like the ghusl done to cleanse oneself of janaabah (impurity following sexual activity). Then he should apply whatever perfume is available, musk or whatever, to his head and beard. It does not matter if traces of that perfume remain after he enters ihraam, because of the hadeeth narrated in al-Saheehayn from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to enter ihraam, he would perfume himself with the best perfume he could find, then I would see shining traces of that musk on his head and beard after that.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 271; Muslim, 1190.

Doing ghusl when entering ihraam is Sunnah for both men and women, even women who are bleeding following childbirth or menstruating, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded Asma’ bint ‘Umays when she was bleeding following childbirth to do ghusl when she entered ihraam, and to bandage her private parts and enter ihraam. Narrated by Muslim, 1209. Then after doing ghusl and putting on perfume, the pilgrim should put on the ihraam garments and – apart from women who are bleeding following childbirth or menstruating – pray the obligatory prayer if that is at the time of an obligatory prayer, otherwise they should pray two rak’ahs with the intention of the Sunnah prayer of wudoo’. When the pilgrim has finished praying he should face the qiblah and enter ihraam. He may delay ihraam until he has boarded his means of transportation, and is ready to move off, but he should enter ihraam before he leaves the meeqaat for Makkah.

Then he should say, Labbayk Allaahumma bi ‘Umrah (Here I am, O Allaah, for ‘Umrah).

Then he should recite the Talbiyah as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did: “Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa shareeka laka labbayk. Inna al-hamd wa’l-ni’mata laka wa’l-mulk, laa shareeka lak (Here I am, O Allaah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner).”

The Talbiyah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also included the words, “Labbayka ilaah al-haqq (Here I am, O God of Truth).”

Ibn ‘Umar used to add to the Talbiyah the words, “Labbaayk wa sa’dayka, wa’l-khayr bi yadayka, wa’l-raghba’ ilayka wa’l-‘aml (Here I am and blessed by You, and all good is in Your hands, and desire and action are directed towards You).”

Men should raise their voices when saying that, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Jibreel came to me and told me to tell my companions and those who are with me to raise their voices when reciting the Talbiyah.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1599. And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of Hajj is that in which voices are raised in the Talbiyah and the blood of the sacrificial animal flows.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1112.

A woman should recite in such a manner that those who are beside her can hear it, unless there is a man beside her who is not one of her mahrams, in which case she should recite it silently.

If the person who is entering ihraam fears some obstacle that may prevent him from completing his pilgrimage (such as sickness, an enemy, being stopped from proceeding any further, etc), then he should stipulate a condition when entering ihraam by saying, “If I am prevented then my exiting ihraam is where I am prevented” – i.e., if something prevents me from completing my pilgrimage such as sickness or delay etc, then I will exit my ihraam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded Dubaa’ah bint al-Zubayr, when she wanted to enter ihraam but she was sick, to stipulate such a condition, and he said, “Your condition is valid with your Lord.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5089) and Muslim (1207).

If he stipulates this condition and something happens to prevent him from completing his pilgrimage, then he can exit his ihraam and does not have to do anything (i.e., offer a sacrifice in compensation).

But the one who does not fear that some obstacle may prevent him from completing his pilgrimage does not have to stipulate any conditions, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not stipulate conditions nor did he command everyone to do so. Rather he told Dubaa’ah bint al-Zubayr to do that because she was sick.

The muhrim (person who has entered ihraam) should recite the Talbiyah a great deal, especially when circumstances and times change, such as when going up to a high place or going down to a low place, or when night or day begin. After that he should ask Allaah for His good pleasure and for Paradise, and seek refuge in His Mercy from the Fire.

The Talbiyah is prescribed in ‘Umrah from the moment one enters ihraam until one starts Tawaaf. When he starts Tawaaf he should stop reciting the Talbiyah.

Ghusl when entering Makkah

When the pilgrim approaches Makkah, he should do ghusl before entering, if possible, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did ghusl when he entered Makkah. Narrated by Muslim, 1259.

2 – Tawaaf

Then when he enters al-Masjid al-Haraam he should do so with his right foot first, and say, “Bismillaah wa’l-salaatu wa’l-salaam ‘ala Rasool-Allaah. Allaahumma ighfir li dhunoobi waftah li abwaab rahmatika. A’oodhu Billaah il-‘Azeem wa bi wajhih il-kareem wa bi sultaanih il-‘qadeem min al-Shaytaan il-rajeem (In the name of Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah. O Allaah, forgive me my sins and open to me the gates of Your mercy. I seek refuge with Allaah the Almighty and in His noble Countenance and His eternal power from the accursed Satan).” Then he should go to the Black Stone in order to start tawaaf. He should touch the Stone with his right hand and kiss it; if he cannot kiss it then he should touch it with his hand and kiss his hand. If he cannot touch it with his hand then he should face the Stone and point to it with his hand and say “Allaahu akbar”, but he should not kiss his hand.

There is a great deal of virtue in touching the Black Stone, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will raise up the Black Stone on the Day of Resurrection and it will have two eyes with which it will see and a tongue with which it will speak, and it will bear witness for those who touched it in sincerity.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1144.

It is better not to crowd around and cause annoyance to people or be annoyed by them, because of the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to ‘Umar: “O ‘Umar, you are a strong man, do not crowd around the Stone and disturb the weak. If you find space, then touch it, otherwise just face it and say ‘Allaahu akbar.’” Narrated by Ahmad, 191; classed as qawiy by al-Albaani in Risaalat Manaasik al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah, p. 21.

Then he should move towards the right, with the Ka’bah on his left, and when he reaches the Yemeni Corner (al-Rukn al-Yamaani, which is the third corner after the Black Stone) he should touch it, without kissing his hand or saying “Allaahu akbar”. If he cannot touch it then he should move on, and not crowd around it. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone he should say, “Rabbanaa aatina fi’l-dunya hasanah wa fi’l-aakhirah hasanah wa qinna ‘adhaab al-Naar (Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire).” Narrated by Abu Dawood and classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1666.

Every time he passes the Black Stone he should face it and say ‘Allaahu akbar’, and in the rest of his tawaaf he should recite whatever he likes of dhikr, du’aa’ and Qur’aan, because tawaaf around the Ka’bah has been established for the remembrance of Allaah.

In Tawaaf men should do two things:

1 – Uncovering the right shoulder (idtibaa’) from the beginning of tawaaf until the end. This is done by placing the middle of the rida’ (upper garment) beneath the right armpit and the ends of the rida’ over the left shoulder. When the pilgrim finishes tawaaf, he should put his rida’ back as it was before tawaaf, because the time for wearing it with one shoulder uncovered is only in tawaaf.

2 – Raml in the first three circuits only. Raml means walking quickly with short steps. In the last four circuits there is no raml, rather the pilgrim should walk normally.

When the pilgrim has completed seven circuits of tawaaf, he should cover his right shoulder and then go to the Station of Ibraaheem (Maqaam Ibraaheem) and recite the words (interpretation of the meaning):

“And take you (people) the Maqaam (place) of Ibraaheem (Abraham) [or the stone on which Ibraaheem (Abraham) stood while he was building the Ka‘bah] as a place of prayer (for some of your prayers, e.g. two Rak‘at after the Tawaaf of the Ka‘bah at Makkah),” [al-Baqarah 2:125]

Then he should pray two rak’ahs behind the Station; in the first rak’ah after reciting al-Faatihah he should recite Yaa ayyaha’l-kaafiroon (Soorat al-Kaafiroon 109) and in the second Qul Huwa Allaahu ahad (Soorat al-Ikhlaas 112). Then when he has finished this prayer he should go to the Black Stone and touch it if he can. It is prescribed at this point to touch it only; if he cannot do that then he should go away and not point to it.

3 – Saa’i

Then he should go out to the Mas’aa (place for saa’i) and when he comes near to al-Safa’ he should recite (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah (two mountains in Makkah) are of the Symbols of Allaah” [al-Baqarah 2:158]

And he should say: “Nabda’u bima bada’a Allaah bihi (We start with that with which Allaah started).”

Then he should climb al-Safa until he can see the Ka’bah, then he should face it and raise his hands and praise Allaah, and make du’aa’ as he wishes. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say: “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk, wa lahu’l-hamd, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer. Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdah, anjaza wa’dah, wa nasara ‘abdah, wa hazamaa al-ahzaaba wahdah (There is no god but Allaah alone, with no partner or associate; His is the Dominion, all praise is due to Him, and He is able to do all things. There is no god but Allaah alone; he fulfilled His promise, granted victory to His slave, and defeated the confederates alone).” Narrated by Muslim, 1218.

He should repeat that three times, and make du’aa’ in between. He should recite this dhikr then make du’aa’, then recite it again and make du’aa’, and recite it a third time, then come down to al-Marwah, and not make du’aa’ after the third time.

When he reaches the green marker he should run as quickly as he can without disturbing anyone, because it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah, and he said, “The river bed is not crossed except with vigour.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 2419. The river bed [it was a dried river bed in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] is the area between the two green markers that stand there now.

When he reaches the second green marker, he should walk normally until he reaches al-Marwah. He should climb up it and turn to face the qiblah, and raise his hands and say what he said at al-Safa. Then he should come down from al-Marwah and head for al-Safa, walking in the place of walking and running in the place of running. When he reaches al-Safa he should do what he did the first time, and the same when he goes back to al-Marwah, until he has completed seven circuits; going from al-Safa’ to al-Marwah is one circuit, and coming back from al-Marwah to al-Safa is another circuit. During his saa’i he can say whatever he likes or dhikr and du’aa’, and recite Qur’aan.

Note:

The verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, As-Safa and Al-Marwah (two mountains in Makkah) are of the Symbols of Allaah” [al-Baqarah 2:158]

should be recited by the pilgrim who wants to perform saa’i when he approaches al-Safa at the beginning of saa’i only. It is not mustahabb to repeat it every time he approaches al-Safa and al-Marwah, as some people do.

4 – Shaving the head or cutting the hair

When he has completed seven circuits (of saa’i) he should shave his head if he is a man, or cut some of his hair. If he shaves his head he must shave his entire head, and if he cuts his hair he must cut from all over his head. Shaving is better than cutting because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made du’aa’ three times for those who shaved their heads and once for those who cut their hair. Narrated by Muslim, 1303.

Women should cut the length of a fingertip from their hair.

With these actions, ‘Umrah is complete. So ‘Umrah consists of ihraam, tawaaf, saa’i and shaving the head or cutting the hair.

We ask Allaah to help us to do righteous deeds, and to accept them from us, for He is Ever Near and responds to our prayers.

See Manaasik al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah by al-Albaani [available in English as The Rites of Hajj and ‘Umrah, published by International Islamic Publishing House, Riyadh]; Sifat al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah and al-Manhaj li Mureed al-‘Umrah wa’l-Hajj by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on them all).

Q: I was in al-Taa’if then I decided to go to Makkah to spend some days there. On the day I was going there, I thought of entering ihraam for ‘umrah and in fact I did ghusl and said, “Labbaayk Allaahumma bi ‘umrah, Labbayk Allaahumma labbayk (here I am, O Allaah, for ‘umrah, Here I am, O Allaah, here I am).” Then before I left the house something occurred to me that made me delay the idea. Because I am a woman, ihraam did not change a lot of things for me (i.e., my dress was no different etc), so I forgot that I had spoken the Talbiyah out loud. I went to Makkah but I did not do ‘Umrah. I spent a few days there, then I went back to al-Taa’if for one day. From there I entered ihraam for ‘umrah and I went to Makkah and did ‘umrah (and I did not remember that I had said the Talbiyah the first time until I said the Talbiyah at the meeqaat the second time). What should I do about that?

A. Praise be to Allaah.

Everyone who enters ihraam for ‘Umrah or Hajj must complete the rituals even if they are naafil pilgrimages, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

Whoever intends to enter ihraam but then does not complete the rituals, with no legitimate shar’i excuse, has done something that is haraam.

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

If he has put on the izaar and rida’ (ihraam garments) but he did not form the intention of starting to do Hajj or ‘Umrah and he did not recite the Talbiyah, then he has the choice: if he wants he may start Hajj or ‘Umrah, and if he wants he can abandon the idea. And there is no sin on him if he has already done the Hajj and ‘Umrah of Islam (i.e., the obligatory Hajj or ‘umrah). But if he had formed the intention of starting Hajj or ‘umrah, he does not have the right to cancel that and change his mind, rather he must complete that for which he entered ihraam in the manner prescribed in sharee’ah, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

Thus it should be clear to you that once the Muslim has started Hajj or ‘umrah by forming the intention, he does not have the right to change his mind, rather he must complete what he has started, because of the verse quoted above – unless he has stipulated a condition and this obstacle that he feared comes to pass; in that case he may exit ihraam, because when Dubaa’ah bint al-Zubayr said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “O Messenger of Allaah, I want to do Hajj but I am ill,” he said: “Do Hajj and stipulate the condition that you will exit ihraam at the point when you cannot go any further.” Saheeh – agreed upon.

Based on this, the ‘umrah that you did takes the place of the ‘umrah for which you entered ihraam at first.

With regard to the things that are forbidden in ihraam that you did during those days, they are forgiven, because it seems that you did not know that it is forbidden to cancel the intention to do ‘umrah after forming that intention.

In the answer to question no. 36522 we have stated that whoever does one of the things that are forbidden in ihraam out of ignorance or because he forgot, does not have to do anything (i.e., he does not have to offer any fidyah).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about a woman who entered ihraam for ‘umrah then she canceled that ‘umrah, and did another ‘umrah a few days later. Is what she did correct? What is the ruling on what she did of the things that are forbidden during ihraam?

He replied: What she did is not correct, because if a person starts to do ‘umrah or Hajj, it is haraam for him to cancel it unless he has a valid shar’i reason. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

So this woman has to repent to Allaah for what she did, but her ‘umrah is valid because even though she cancelled it, it cannot be cancelled. This is one of the unique characteristics of Hajj. Hajj has unique characteristics that are not present in any other act of worship. If a person intends to cancel Hajj it does not become cancelled, but if a person intends to cancel any other act of worship it does become cancelled. If a person is fasting then he decides to cancel his fast, his fast is cancelled, and if a person decides to cancel his wudoo’ whilst doing it, his wudoo’ is cancelled. But if a person is doing ‘umrah and decides to cancel it, it does not become cancelled, and if he decides to cancel Hajj whilst putting on the Hajj garments, it does not become cancelled. Hence the scholars said that the rituals of Hajj and ‘umrah do not be cancelled even of a person decides to cancel them.

Based on this we say: this woman is still in a state of ihraam from the moment she formed the intention until she completes ‘umrah. Her intention to cancel it does not have any effect, rather she remains in that state.

To sum up: with regard to this woman we say that her ‘umrah is valid, but she should not cancel ihraam again, because if she cancels ihraam that does not count.

With regard to the things she did that are haraam when in ihraam, let us assume that her husband had intercourse with her at this time, and intercourse when in ihraam is the most serious of the forbidden things. But she does not have to offer any fidyah because she was unaware (of the ruling). Every person who does one of the things that are forbidden in ihraam out of ignorance or because he forgot or was forced to do it, does not have to do anything (i.e., offer any fidyah). From Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 21/351.

And Allaah knows best.

Q: We are going to go for ‘umrah at the end of Sha’baan and the beginning of Ramadaan, in sha Allah. My question is: Is it possible to do more than one ‘umrah? i.e., can we do ‘umrah then wait a while and enter ihraam again and do another ‘umrah? How long should we wait between two ‘umrahs?

A: Praise be to Allaah.

There is nothing wrong with repeating ‘umrah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged us to do ‘umrah and he did not define the time period that should elapse between two ‘umrahs.

Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni:

There is nothing wrong with doing ‘umrah several times in the year. That was narrated from ‘Ali, Ibn ‘Umar, Ibn ‘Abbaas, Anas, ‘Aa’ishah, ‘Ata’, Tawoos, ‘Ikrimah and al-Shaafa’i, because ‘Aa’ishah did ‘umrah twice in one month on the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “From one ‘umrah to another is an expiation for whatever (sins) come between them.” Agreed upon.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz was asked in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (17/432): Is it permissible to perform ‘umrah repeatedly in Ramadaan, seeking the reward for that?

He replied:

There is nothing wrong with that. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “From one ‘umrah to another is an expiation for whatever (sins) come between them, and an accepted Hajj brings no less a reward than Paradise.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1773; Muslim, 1349.

If a person does ‘umrah three or four times, there is nothing wrong with that. At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), at the Farewell Pilgrimage, ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) did ‘umrah twice within a space of less than twenty days.

And the Standing Committee was asked (11/337):

I live in a town 100 kilometers away from Makkah. In Ramadaan every year I go to Makkah for ‘umrah, and I pray Jumu’ah and ‘Asr there, then I go back to my town. I discussed that with some of my brothers and they said that it is not permissible to do ‘umrah every week in Ramadaan.

They replied:

If the situation is as you describe, that is permissible, because there is no text that specifies the length of time that should elapse between one ‘umrah and the next.

Some scholars are of the view that time should be allowed between two ‘umrahs for hair to grow that the pilgrim can shave in the second ‘umrah. This time period is approximately one week or ten days.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (7/242):

Imam Ahmad said: he should not do ‘umrah until his head has turned black with hair.

Based on this, what many people do nowadays of performing ‘umrah repeatedly, especially in the month of Ramadaan every day, or once each day and once each night, is contrary to what the salaf used to do.

Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni:

‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said (‘umrah may be done) once each month. When his hair had grown back, Anas would go out and do ‘umrah again. Both reports were narrated by al-Shaafa’i in his Musnad. ‘Ikrimah said: He should do ‘umrah when his hair can be shaved by the razor. ‘Ata’ said: If he wishes he can do ‘umrah twice each month. Ahmad said: If he does ‘umrah, then he has to shave his head or cut his hair. In ten days he can shave his head.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 26/45:

What Ahmad stated is that it is not recommended to repeat ‘umrah often from Makkah or elsewhere, rather one should allow time in between for the hair to grow back so that it can be shaved.

Q: Umrah in the month of Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj. What is meant by that? I would like a detailed explanation.

A: Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Al-Bukhaari (1782) and Muslim (1256) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to a woman from among the Ansaar – Ibn ‘Abbaas mentioned her name but I forgot it – “What kept you from performing Hajj with us?” She said: We only have two camels and the father of her son and her son had gone for Hajj on one camel, and he left us the other camel so that we could carry water on it. He said: “When Ramadaan comes, go for ‘Umrah, for ‘Umrah in (that month) is equivalent to Hajj.”

Secondly:

The scholars differed concerning the one who attains the virtue mentioned in the hadeeth. There are three opinions:

1 – That this hadeeth applies only to the woman who was addressed by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Among those who favoured this view was Sa’eed ibn Jubayr among the Taabi’een, as was narrated from him by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari (3/605). Among the evidence quoted in support of this view is the hadeeth of Umm Ma’qil who said: Hajj is Hajj and ‘Umrah is ‘Umrah. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said this to me and I do not know whether it was just for me or for all people. Narrated by Abu Dawood (1989), but this version is da’eef (weak); it was classed as such by al-Albaani in Da’eef Abi Dawood.

2 – That this virtue is attained by the one who intends to do Hajj but is unable to do it, then he makes up for it by doing ‘Umrah in Ramadaan. For by combining the intention to do Hajj with performance of ‘Umrah in Ramadaan, he attains the reward of doing a complete Hajj with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Ibn Rajab said in Lataa’if al-Ma’aarif (p. 249).

It should be noted that the one who is unable to do a good deed and regrets that and wishes that he could do it will share the reward with the one who does it – and he mentioned a few examples of that – Some women missed out on doing Hajj with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and when he came they asked him about what would make up for that Hajj, and he said: “Do ‘Umrah in Ramadaan, for ‘Umrah in Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj or to Hajj with me.” End quote.

Ibn Katheer said something similar in his Tafseer (1/531).

This view was mentioned by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah as something possible in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (26/293-294).

3 – The view of the scholars of the four madhhabs and others, that the virtue mentioned in this hadeeth is general in meaning and applies to everyone who does ‘umrah in the month of Ramadaan. ‘Umrah at that time is equivalent to Hajj for all people, not just for a few people or in certain circumstances.

The most correct of these opinions – and Allaah knows best – is the last one, and the virtue is general in meaning and is attained by all those who do ‘umrah in Ramadaan. This is indicated by the following:

1- The hadeeth was narrated from a number of the Sahaabah. Al-Tirmidhi said: Concerning this topic (reports were narrated) from Ibn ‘Abbaas, Jaabir, Abu Hurayrah, Anas and Wahb ibn Khanbash. Most of the reports make no mention of the woman who asked the question.

2- The action of people throughout the ages, namely the Sahaabah, Taabi’een, scholars and righteous people, who have always been eager to perform ‘umrah in Ramadaan so that they may attain this reward.

As for the idea that the virtue could only be attained by one who was unable to perform Hajj that year because of some impediment, it may be said that if a person sincerely intended and resolved to do Hajj, and took the appropriate means, then was prevented by something that was beyond his control, then Allaah will decree the reward for that action because of his intention. So how could the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) make the reward conditional upon doing some additional action, namely performing ‘umrah in Ramadaan, when the sincere intention is sufficient to attain the reward?

Thirdly:

There remains the question about what is meant by the virtue mentioned, and that ‘umrah in Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj. That may be explained as follows:

Undoubtedly ‘umrah in Ramadaan does not take the place of the obligatory Hajj, i.e., the one who does ‘Umrah in Ramadaan has not discharged the duty to perform the obligatory Hajj for the sake of Allaah.

What is meant by the hadeeth is that they are alike in terms of reward, not in terms of fulfilling the duty.

Nevertheless, what is meant by equivalency between the reward for ‘umrah in Ramadaan and the reward for Hajj is equivalency in terms of amount, not in terms of type. Undoubtedly Hajj is superior to ‘Umrah in terms of the type of action.

The one who does ‘umrah in Ramadaan will attain a reward equal in amount to that of Hajj, but the action of Hajj brings special virtues and status that are not present in ‘umrah, such as du’aa’ in ‘Arafah, stoning the jamaraat, offering the sacrifice and so on. Although they are equal in terms of the amount – or number – of reward, they are not equal in terms of type or nature.

Ibn Taymiyah said something similar when he spoke about the hadeeth which says that Soorat al-Ikhlaas is equivalent to one third of the Qur’aan. You can see what he said in the answer to question no. 10022.

Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh said:

What this hadeeth, i.e., “ ‘umrah in Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj”, means is similar to the report narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in which he said: “Whoever recites Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad has recited one third of the Qur’aan.” Sunan al-Tirmidhi (2/268).

In Masaa’il al-Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (1/553) there is a report from Abu Ya’qoob al-Koosaj:

I said: Who said “ ‘Umrah in Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj”? Is that proven? He said: Yes, it is proven.

Ishaaq said: It is proven as he said. What is means is that there will be recorded for him a reward like that of Hajj, but he will never be like the one who performed Hajj at all. End quote.

Ibn Taymiyah said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (26/293-294):

It is well known that what is meant is that your ‘umrah in Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj with me, because she wanted to do Hajj with him but was not able to. So he told her of what would take the place of that. The same applied to others among the Sahaabah who were in the same position as her. No wise man would say what some ignorant people think, that the ‘umrah of one of us from the meeqaat or from Makkah is equivalent to Hajj with him, because it is obvious that a complete Hajj is better than ‘umrah in Ramadaan, and even if one of us does the obligatory hajj it cannot be like Hajj with him, so how can ‘umrah be like that? The most that can be understood from the hadeeth is that the ‘umrah of one of us from the meeqaat in Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj. End quote.

Q: Four years ago, I went for ‘umrah with my father in Ramadan. My father is elderly and in the first tawaaf, he stopped doing tawaaf and could not walk. Then we went back to our city, then I came back to Makkah two days after that and did ‘umrah from scratch; my brother came back with me and did ‘umrah on behalf of my father. What is the ruling concerning that?.

A: Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

It is not permissible for the one who has entered ihram for Hajj or ‘Umrah to exit ihram or stop doing Hajj or ‘Umrah before completing it, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And perform properly (i.e. all the ceremonies according to the ways of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), the Hajj and ‘Umrah (i.e. the pilgrimage to Makkah) for Allaah” [al-Baqarah 2:196].

If your father is able to go back to Makkah and complete the ‘Umrah for which he entered ihram, then it is obligatory for him to do that, and he cannot exit that ihram except by completing it, so long as he is able to do that.

But if there is any genuine excuse that is preventing him from completing the rituals, then in this case he is muhsaran (prevented), so he should offer a sacrifice in the place where he could no longer carry on, or slaughter it in Makkah and distribute its meat to the poor of the Haram, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“But if you are prevented (from completing them), sacrifice a Hady (animal, i.e. a sheep, a cow, or a camel) such as you can afford…” [al-Baqarah 2:196].

Then after sacrificing an animal, he should shave his head or cut his hair. Then he will have exited the ihram for ‘Umrah.

As your father was not able to complete his ‘Umrah and he went back to your city because he was sick and is elderly, then in this case he should send someone to Makkah who can slaughter the sacrifice for him there and distribute its meat to the poor of the Haram, then he should shave his head or cut his hair. And he has to avoid the things that are forbidden whilst in ihram until he has done that, because he is still in a state of ihram for ‘Umrah until he does that which Allah has commanded the one who is prevented (from completing Hajj or ‘Umrah) to do.

If he stipulated when entering ihram, “Allahumma mahalli haythu habastani (O Allah, my place of exiting ihram will be where You caused me to be prevented (from continuing)),” then he may exit ihram for ‘Umrah and he does not have to offer a sacrifice or shave his head or do anything else.

With regard to the ‘Umrah that your brother did on behalf of your father, this is a separate ‘Umrah and is acceptable on your father’s behalf if he is unable to do ‘Umrah because he is elderly or is sick and has no hope of recovery.

But if he is able to do ‘Umrah for himself, or there is hope of recovery from his sickness, then in this case it is not valid to do ‘Umrah on his behalf.

When you went back to Makkah you should have completed the ‘umrah for which you entered ihram with your father, and you should not have started ‘umrah from scratch, because you were still in ihram. Hence your second ihram is regarded as superfluous, and your tawaaf, saa‘i and shaving your head are regarded as a completion of the first ‘umrah.

If you did any of the forbidden actions after you returned from Makkah, until you went back to complete your ‘umrah, then you have to offer a fidyah for each of the forbidden actions that you committed, unless you did it out of ignorance, in which case it is pardoned.

And Allah knows best.

Q: I live in Saudi and my wife came from outside Saudi. We met in Jeddah when we were in ihram for ‘Umrah only, and we went to Makkah. In the hotel intercourse took place before ‘Umrah, then we went to at-Tan‘eem and entered ihram, and we did a new ‘Umrah. What is the ruling?

A: Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permissible for one who is in ihram for Hajj or ‘Umrah to have intercourse until he or she has exited ihram. If a person has intercourse during ‘Umrah, before completing saa‘i, the ‘Umrah is invalidated, but he has to carry on and complete it, then make it up by entering ihram from the place he entered it the first time, as well as sacrificing a sheep on behalf of each of you, to be slaughtered in Makkah and its meat distributed to the poor (of that city).

With regard to intercourse after saa‘i and before shaving the head or cutting the hair, it does not invalidate ‘Umrah, but fidyah (ransom or expiation) must be offered for that, with a choice (between offering a sacrifice, fasting for three days or feeding six poor persons).

Your going to at-Tan‘eem was of no use, because you are still in a state of ihram for ‘umrah -- even if it was spoiled -- so it is not correct to enter another ihram until you are done with the first one.

Based on that, what you did of the actions of ‘Umrah is regarded as the completion of the spoiled ‘Umrah, and you have to make it up. You should enter ihram from the miqeet from which you entered ihram the first time, and slaughter a sheep on behalf of each of you.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If you have intercourse with your wife, it invalidates your ‘Umrah, but you have to complete it, then make it up again from the place at which you entered ihram the first time. And you have to offer a sacrifice, which is a one-ear-old sheep or a two-year-old goat, to slaughtered in Makkah and given to the poor. One seventh of a camel or cow is also acceptable.

End quote from Fataawa Islamiyyah.

Some scholars are of the view that what is required of one who has intercourse during ‘Umrah is to offer fidyah, with a choice between offering a sacrifice, fasting for three days or feeding six poor persons, whether he had intercourse before saa‘i or after, as it says in Sharh Muntaha al-Iraadaat, 1/556.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘Umrah in which intercourse takes place is an invalid ‘Umrah and you have to sacrifice a sheep, to be slaughtered in Makkah and the meat distributed to the poor; or feed six poor persons, giving each one half a saa‘ of food; or fast for three days. You also have to do another ‘Umrah to make up for the one that was spoiled. End quote from al-Liqa’ ash-Shahri, 9/54

To sum up, you have to do three things:

1. Repent to Allah, may He be exalted, for doing something that was forbidden whilst in ihram and spoiling the rituals which Allah commanded must be completed.

2. Do ‘Umrah again to make up for the spoiled ‘Umrah; you have to enter ihram from the same miqaat as you entered ihram for the ‘Umrah that was spoiled.

3. Offer a fidyah (ransom); each of you has the option of choosing whichever option he or she wants: either sacrificing a sheep, or fasting three days, or feeding six poor people among the poor of Makkah. If each of you sacrifices a sheep, that is preferable and is more on the safe side.

And Allah knows best.

Q: What is the correct way to do ‘Umrah on behalf of my deceased father after I do it for myself?

A: Praise be to Allaah.

You have to enter ihraam on behalf of yourself from the meeqaat which you are going to pass, then when you have completed ‘Umrah for yourself, by doing tawaaf and saa’i and cutting your hair, go out to al-Tan’eem or another place outside the Haram (sanctuary), and enter ihraam for ‘Umrah on behalf of your father. Say, “Labbayk Allaahumma bi ‘umratin ‘an abi (Here I am, O Allaah, for ‘Umrah on behalf of my father).” Then do tawaaf and saa’i, and cut your hair or shave your head, but shaving is better. You do not have to go back to the meeqaat to enter ihraam for ‘Umrah on behalf of your father.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz said:

If you want to do Hajj or ‘Umrah for yourself or for someone else who has passed away or who is unable to do it because they are very old or suffering from an incurable sickness, then you have to enter ihraam from the meeqaat which you pass when you are intending to do Hajj or ‘Umrah. When you finish the actions of ‘Umrah or Hajj, there is nothing wrong with you starting ‘Umrah for yourself from the closest point outside the Haram, such as al-Tan’eem or al-Ji’raanah or elsewhere. You do not need to go back to the meeqaat, because ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) entered ihraam for ‘Umrah from the meeqaat of Madeenah with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during the Farewell Pilgrimage, then when she finished her Hajj and ‘Umrah she asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) permission to do ‘Umrah on its own, and he told her brother ‘Abd al-Rahmaan to take her to al-Tan’eem, and she did ‘Umrah after Hajj. He did not tell her to go back to the meeqaat. She had joined Hajj with the ‘Umrah for which she had entered ihraam from the meeqaat as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told her to do, when she began to menstruate before she could do the rituals of ‘Umrah.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 17/15.

Q: Is there any particular virtue in performing ‘Umrah in the month of Rajab?

A: Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

There is no report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – as far as we know – to suggest that there is any particular virtue in performing ‘Umrah in the month of Rajab, or that it is encouraged. Rather it is proven that there is a particular virtue in performing ‘Umrah in the month of Ramadaan, and in the months of Hajj, which are Shawwaal, Dhu’l-Qa’dah and Dhu’l-Hijjah.

There is no report to prove that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) performed ‘Umrah in Rajab, rather that was denied by ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never performed ‘Umrah in Rajab. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1776; Muslim, 1255.

Secondly:

Something that has been introduced into the religion is what some people do, namely singling out the month of Rajab for ‘Umrah, because no one should single out a specific time for doing an act of worship unless that has been prescribed in sharee’ah.

Ibn al-‘Attaar, the student of al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on them both) said:

What I have heard about the people of Makkah, may Allaah increase it in honour, is that they are accustomed to performing ‘Umrah a great deal in Rajab. This is something for which I know of no basis, rather it is proven in the hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “ ‘Umrah in Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj.” End quote.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Fataawa (6/131):

With regard to singling out some days of Rajab for any kinds of ziyaarah etc, there is no basis for that. Imam Abu Shaamah stated in his book al-Bida’ wa’l-Hawaadith that performing acts of worship at specific times which were not prescribed by Islam is not right, because no time is better than any other, except times when it is prescribed to perform a certain kind of worship, or a time when all kinds of good deeds are better than at other times. Hence the scholars denounced the singling out of the month of Rajab for performing ‘Umrah a great deal. End quote.

But if a person goes for ‘Umrah during Rajab without believing that there is any special virtue in that, but it just so happens that it is easy for him to travel at that time, there is nothing wrong with that.

Q: I did ‘Umrah during the last two days of Ramadaan, but at that time I had my period, so I entered ihraam from the meeqaat and did saa’i between al-Safa and al-Marwah, and I cut my hair, but the menses prevented me from doing tawaaf. Around one day after my period ended I did the Eid prayer, and I did the farewell tawaaf, and we came back to our country. Is this ‘Umrah valid?

A: Praise be to Allaah.

You did some things right, and you make mistakes in others. You did right to enter ihraam from the meeqaat – even though you were menstruating – and you did right to refrain from doing tawaaf, but you made a mistake by doing saa’i and cutting your hair, and you did a mistake by not doing the tawaaf of ‘Umrah and saa’i after you became pure.

Some scholars regard doing saa’i before tawaaf as permissible in Hajj, but not in ‘Umrah.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen said:

It is essential to do tawaaf before saa’i; if he starts with saa’i before tawaaf, he must repeat it after tawaaf, because he did it in the wrong order.

If someone were to say: What do you say about the saheeh report from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which says that he was asked by a man who said to him: “I did saa’i before tawaaf,” and he said: “Do it, and it doesn’t matter”?

The answer is that this was in Hajj and not in ‘Umrah. End quote.

Al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (7/310).

Now you are still in a state of ihraam for ‘Umrah, because it was not completed. What you have to do is go back to Makkah and do the tawaaf of ‘Umrah that you omitted, and repeat saa’i once more, and you have to cut your hair after that; the fact that you cut your hair before does not count because it was done in the wrong order.

The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas said concerning one who did tawaaf without being in a state of purity (tahaarah):

You are still in ihraam for ‘Umrah, if you did not repeat tawaaf in a state of purity, and you have to go to Makkah in ihraam as soon as possible and circumambulate the Ka’bah and do saa’i, then shave your heard or cut your hair, and thus you will have completed your ‘Umrah. End quote.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (11/237, 238).

And Allaah knows best.

Q: What is the ruling on a woman who performed ‘Umrah one or more times, but she did not cut her hair? After that she did more than one ‘Umrah and did cut her hair. Does she have to do anything with regard to what happened in the past?

A: Praise be to Allaah.

According to the scholars, whoever fails to do one of the obligatory duties of Hajj or ‘Umrah, such as shaving the head or cutting the hair, has to offer a compensatory sacrifice, to be slaughtered in Makkah and its meat distributed to the poor.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about a person who did ‘Umrah but did not shave his head or cut his hair because he forgot or was unaware of the ruling. What is the ruling on his ‘Umrah?

He replied:

His ‘Umrah is valid even if he did not shave his head or cut his hair, because shaving the head or cutting the hair is not one of the pillars (essential parts) of ‘Umrah, rather it is one of the duties. If a person omits it by mistake because he forgot, then he should shave his head when he remembers, unless the time has passed, in which case he should offer a compensatory sacrifice in Makkah and give the meat in charity to the poor. And there is no sin on him in this case, so long as he did that out of forgetfulness or ignorance.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 22/466, 1000

He was also asked about a man who exited ihraam following ‘Umrah, after performing tawaaf and saa’i, and he did not cut his hair, then he entered ihraam for Hajj. What should he do?

He replied:

It seems that he continued in the state of tamattu’, but he has to offer compensation for not shaving his head or cutting his hair, based on the well-known view among the fuqaha’ that the one who omits an obligatory duty has to offer a fidyah (ransom). If he is well off, then he has to offer a compensatory sacrifice in Makkah and distribute all its meat to the poor. If he cannot afford it, then he does not have to do anything. With regard to his Hajj, it is tamattu’ because this was his intention.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 22/468, 1004.

Q: I am from the city of Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In Ramadaan I went to do ‘Umrah with my wife and three children. My oldest daughter (aged 10) entered ihram and intended to do ‘Umrah, and she did not stipulate any condition [about exiting ihraam]. She was sick, and she did two circuits of Tawaaf but was not able to complete her ‘Umrah, and we came back to Riyadh. Do I have to do anything, and what should I do? May Allaah reward you with good.

A: Praise be to Allaah.

If your daughter had reached puberty at the time when she stopped her ihraam, then she has to pay the fidyah – which is a sheep to be slaughtered in Makkah and distributed among the poor living in the Haram – according to the majority of scholars. This ruling applies to everyone who is stopped by an enemy or by sickness etc which prevents him from completing the rituals of his Hajj or ‘Umrah, when he did not make a condition.

When entering ihraam, the Muslim may stipulate a condition, if he fears that something may prevent him from completing his ‘Umrah or Hajj, such as sickness or fear etc. So after entering ihraam he may say, “If something prevents me (from continuing), I will exit ihraam from that point.” The benefit of this condition is that if something prevents him from completing his ‘Umrah or Hajj, he may then exit his ihraam without offering the fidyah.

If a person who has entered ihraam for Hajj or ‘Umrah passes the meeqaat without having stipulated a condition, then something happens to him, such as illness etc., that prevents him from completing his pilgrimage, what does he have to do?

He replied:

This person is muhsar (prevented) because he did not stipulate a condition then something happened to him that prevented him from continuing. If he can be patient and wait to see if the effects of whatever happened go away so that he can then complete his pilgrimage, then he should wait. If he is not able to do that, then he is muhsar according to the correct opinion, and Allaah says concerning the muhsar (interpretation of the meaning):

“But if you are prevented (from completing them), sacrifice a Hady (animal, i.e. a sheep, a cow, or a camel) such as you can afford” [al-Baqarah 2:196]

The correct view is that one may be prevented by an enemy or by something other than an enemy. So he should offer the sacrifice, shave or cut his hair, and exit ihraam. This is the ruling on one who is prevented: he should slaughter his sacrifice in the place where he is prevented, whether that is within the Haram or outside, and he should give the meat to the poor in the place where he is, even if he is outside the Haram.

If he cannot find anyone around him, it should be taken to the poor of the Haram or to the poor around the Haram or in any of the villages. Then he should shave his head or cut his hair, and exit ihraam. If he cannot offer a sacrifice then he should fast for ten days and then exit ihraam or cut his hair and exit ihraam.

Tuhfat al-Ikhwaan bi Ajwabah Muhimmah tata’allaq bi Arkaan al-Islam.

If she had not yet reached puberty, some of the scholars are of the view that you and she do not have to do anything. They said that it is not obligatory for a child to complete or resume whatever he entered ihraam for, because a child is not subject to the obligations of Islam, and because this view is kinder to people, as a child’s guardian may think that ihraam is easy for him, then he finds out that this is not the case.

This is the view of the Hanafis and Ibn Hazm, and was the view favoured by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) among the later scholars.

Question and answers

Q: A man intends to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah and he puts on his garments of Ihram on the airplane. Then, along with this, he does not know the place of the Miqat. Can he delay the Ihram until Jeddah or not?

A: If he intends to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah by air, he may bathe in his home and put on the waist garment and the upper garment (at his home), if Allaah wills. Then, when there is only a short amount of time left before reaching the Miqat (i.e. while on the plane) he enters the state of Ihram for whatever he wants to perform, whether it is Hajj or ‘Umrah. There is no hardship in that.

If he does not know the Miqat, then he should ask the plane’s pilot or one of the plane’s crew or one of the passengers who is reliable and has information about that. And success is from Allaah. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and his Companions.

Permanent Committee for Research and Verdicts

FatawaIslamiyah, vol.4, p.90, DARUSSALAM

Q: What is the ruling if the prayer starts and the Hajj pilgrim or the ‘Umrah pilgrim has not completed Tawaf or Sa’y?

A: He prays with the people and then he completes his Tawaf or Sa’y from where he left off. He begins from wherever he stopped.

Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz

FatawaIslamiyah vol.4, p.182, DARUSSALAM

Q: What is the ruling on whoever passes the Miqat without assuming Ihram and intended Hajj or Umrah ?

A: Whoever passes the Miqat for Hajj or Umrah and he has not assumed Ihram, it is obligatory upon him to return and assume Ihram for Hajj and Umrah from the Miqat. This is because the Messenger of Allah Sallallahualaihiwasallam ordered that. He Sallallahualaihiwasallam said: The people of Al-Madinah assume Ihram from Thul-Hulayfah, the people of Ash-Sham from Al-Juhfah, the people of Najd from Qarn, and the people from Al-Yeman from Yalamalam.[1]

Al-Bukhar no. 1525 and Muslim no. 1182

Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz

FatawaIslamiyah Darussalam Vol:4 page no. 83

Q: A Muslim assumed Ihram for Umrah and he has a habit of playing with his hair while he is thinking .He did that forgetfully while he was in Ihram and some of his hair came out. Does he have to make expiation?

A: There is nothing due on him due to Allah's statement concerning the believers, that they said: Our lord, do not take us to account (i.e., punish us) if we forget or unintentionally err.[1] Indeed Allah answered their supplication, because it is authenticated from the Messenger of Allah-Sallallahualaihiwasallam-that Allah said:Indeed I have done so (i.e., accepted this supplication). [2] Imam Muslim recorded this in his Sahih.

1.Al-baqarah 2:286. 2.Muslim no. 126.

Q: A man with a family possessed wealth, and all of his children were legal minors, the eldest of them being eight years old. He died suddenly and he did not bequeath any of his property - bearing in mind that if he had remembered to make a will before his death and matters pertaining thereto, he would have bequeathed something. Is it permissible to take anything from his wealth, or is it enough (to spend from it) on righteous deeds, such as Hajj, Umrah, animal sacrifice and the like? Please advise us.

A: It is not necessary for the heirs to take anything from his property, but if they do, taking a specific amount jointly, such as a third, or a quarter or the like, or they take a fixed amount of Dirhams and give them as charity on his behalf, or purchase for him some real estate, that would be an endowment for Allaahs Face - Most Glorified, Most High - and if its income is spent on charitable projects and good deeds, they will be rewarded for it, and that is an act of righteousness to ones parents, but it only right for those who are mature age to do this. As for the legal minors and the one who is grown but not legally competent, it is not permissible for their guardian to remove anything from his share. And Allaah is the Granter of success.

Question and answers

Q: Does performing ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) during the months of Hajj have any particular virtue different from performing it in other months?

A: The best month to perform ‘Umrah is during Ramadan, for the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Umrah(performed) in Ramadan is equal to Hajj (in reward). (Agreed upon its authenticity by Imams Al-Bukhari and Muslim) According to another narration by Al-Bukhari: It is equivalent to performing Hajj with me. According to the narration by Muslim: It is equivalent to Hajj or Hajj performed with me (in reward). This means that it is equivalent to Hajj or (indicative of uncertainty on the part of the Hadith narrator) equivalent to Hajj performed with the Prophet (peace be upon him). Then, comes the ‘Umrah in Dhul-Qa‘dah, for all the ‘Umrahs which the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed took place in Dhul-Qa‘dah. Allah (Glorified be He) says: Indeed in the Messenger of Allâh (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) you have a good example to follow

(Part No. 17; Page No. 432)

May Allah grant us success!

Source: Fatwas of IbnBaz

Q: I performed ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) at the end of Shawwal then returned with the intention of performing Ifrad Hajj (Hajj only). Please inform me if I am thus considered a Mutamatti‘ (pilgrim performing `Umrah during the months of Hajj, followed by Hajj in the same year with a break in between) and consequently do I have to offer a Hady (sacrificial animal offered by pilgrims) or not?

A: If a person performed ‘Umrah in Shawwal or Dhul-Qa‘dah then returned home then came back with the intention to perform Ifrad Hajj, their Hajj according to the Jumhur (dominant majority of scholars) is not considered as Tamattu‘ Hajj and the concerned pilgrim is not required to offer Hady, because they had returned home then came back for Ifrad Hajj (performing Hajj only). This is the reported view of `Umar and his son (may Allah be pleased with them), which is the opinion of the Jumhur. However, Ibn ‘Abbas was of the view that such a person is regarded as a Mutamatti‘ (pilgrim performing Tamattu‘ Hajj) and consequently must offer Hady because they combined between Hajj and ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj in the same year. But the Jumhur say that if the pilgrim returns home, or as some of the scholars say travels for a distance over which it is permissible to shorten Salah (Prayers), then comes back for Ifrad Hajj, they are not to be considered as performing Tamattu‘ Hajj. It seems to us - and Allah knows best - that the preponderant opinion is the one stated by `Umar and his son (may Allah be pleased with them both) i.e., once a person returns home, they are not considered performing Tamattu‘ Hajj and they do not have to offer Dam (atonement required of a pilgrim for a willful violation of a prohibition or obligation while in the ritual state for Hajj and ‘Umrah).

As for the case of a person who travels to perform Hajj but they make ‘Umrah first then stay in Jeddah or Al-Ta’ifwhere they are not resident, then assume the state of Ihram (ritual state for Hajj and ‘Umrah) for Hajj; this still remains under the category of Mutamatti‘. Their going out to Al-Ta’if, Jeddah or Al-Madinah does not remove them from the category of Mutamatti‘. This is because, in this case, the pilgrim comes initially to perform both Hajj and ‘Umrah but they travel to Jeddah or Al-Ta’if for a certain need. The same applies to whoever travels to Al-Madinah to visit Al-Masjid Al-Nabawy (the Prophet’s Mosque); their Hajj remains Tamattu‘ Hajj and they have to offer Hady for their Tamattu‘ according to the more obviously correct and preponderant opinion. They also have to perform Sa‘y (going between Safa and Marwah during Hajj and ‘Umrah) for their Hajj as they have done for their ‘Umrah.

Source: Fatwas of IbnBaz

Q: Does performing ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) during the months of Hajj have any particular virtue different from performing it in other months?

A: The best month to perform ‘Umrah is during Ramadan, for the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Umrah(performed) in Ramadan is equal to Hajj (in reward). (Agreed upon its authenticity by Imams Al-Bukhari and Muslim) According to another narration by Al-Bukhari: It is equivalent to performing Hajj with me. According to the narration by Muslim: It is equivalent to Hajj or Hajj performed with me (in reward). This means that it is equivalent to Hajj or (indicative of uncertainty on the part of the Hadith narrator) equivalent to Hajj performed with the Prophet (peace be upon him). Then, comes the ‘Umrah in Dhul-Qa‘dah, for all the ‘Umrahs which the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed took place in Dhul-Qa‘dah. Allah (Glorified be He) says: Indeed in the Messenger of Allâh (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) you have a good example to follow

May Allah grant us success!

Source: Fatwas of IbnBaz

Q: I want to perform Tamattu‘ Hajj (‘Umrah during the months of Hajj followed by Hajj in the same year with a break in between). I have performed an ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) in Dhul-Qa‘dah after which I returned to Jeddah, the place of my residence. What should I do when assuming the state of Ihram (ritual state for Hajj or ‘Umrah) for Hajj?

A: If your place of residence is Jeddah, and you have assumed the state of Ihram for ‘Umrah and then you returned to the place of your residence, in Jeddah, then you have broken your Tamattu‘ Hajj. If you assume the state of Ihram for Hajj, then you are performing Ifrad Hajj (performing Hajj only) and there is no obligation on you to offer Dam (atonement required of a pilgrim for a willful violation of a prohibition or obligation while in the ritual state for Hajj and ‘Umrah).

Source: Islamic Research Journal

Q: Is it permissible for women who are performing Hajj or ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) to uncover their faces while they are making Tawaf (circumambulation) around the Ka‘bah in the presence of non-Mahrams (men other than woman’s spouse or unmarriageable relatives)?

A: A woman’s face is part of her ‘Awrah (private parts of the body that must be covered in public) which is impermissible to be uncovered before all non-Mahrams, whether she is performing Tawaf or at other times and whether she is a Muhrim (pilgrim in the ritual state for Hajj and ‘Umrah) or not. If a lady makes Tawaf with her face uncovered, she is considered sinful even though her Tawaf is valid. Regardless, women have to cover their faces with something other than Niqab (face veil) when they are in Ihram (ritual state for Hajj and ‘Umrah).

May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions!

Q: If a person intends to perform Hajj or ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) and finds difficulty in assuming Ihram (ritual state for Hajj and ‘Umrah) on the plane and does not know where the Miqat (site for entering the ritual state for Hajj and ‘Umrah) is, can he delay assuming Ihram until he reachesJeddah or not?

A: If a person intends to perform Hajj and ‘Umrah and wants to assume Ihram while on board the plane, he can perform Ghusl (full ritual bath)(Part No. 11; Page No. 154)at home and wears the Izar (garment worn below the waist) and Rida’ (garment worn around the upper part of the body), if he would like to, and when only little remains before getting close to the Miqat he can assume Ihram for Hajj or ‘Umrah; there is no difficulty in doing this. If he does not know where the Miqat is, he can ask the captain, the cabin crew, one of the air stewards, or a trustworthy passenger who is knowledgeable about that.

May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions!

Q: What is the ruling on a menstruating woman performing Hajj?

A: A menstruating woman is not forbidden to perform Hajj. The woman who assumes Ihram (ritual state for Hajj and ‘Umrah) while she is menstruating has to do all the rituals of Hajj, except that she should not circumambulate the Ka‘bah until her period ends and she performs Ghusl (ritual bath following major ritual impurity). The same applies to a newly-delivered woman. If she performs all the essential parts of Hajj, her Hajj will be valid

May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions!

Q: Some Muslims perform ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) in Shawwal, and then go to Al-Madinah for a visit. After this, they perform Ifrad Hajj (performing Hajj only) without offering a Hady (sacrificial animal offered by pilgrims).

A: It is obligatory on everyone who performs ‘Umrah in Shawwal, Dhul-Qa‘dah, or the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah and then enters Ihram (ritual state for Hajj and ‘Umrah) to perform Ifrad Hajj (performing Hajj only), whether from the Miqat (site for entering the ritual state for Hajj and ‘Umrah) for Al-Madinah or any other place, or fromMakkah, to offer a Hady for Tamattu‘ Hajj (`Umrah during the months of Hajj followed by Hajj in the same year with a break in between). The Hady should either be one sheep or goat, or one-seventh of a camel or a cow, which fulfills the conditions for an Ud-hiyah (sacrificial animal offered by non-pilgrims). This is because they are under the ruling of Tamattu‘ Hajj. Allah (Glorified be He) says: Then if you are in safety and whosoever performs the ‘Umrah in the months of Hajj, before (performing) the Hajj, (i.e. Hajj-at-Tamattu‘ and Al-Qirân), he must slaughter a Hady such as he can afford

The obligation of Hady is not removed by traveling to Al-Madinah, according to the more correct of the two opinions held by the scholars. The exception is if the pilgrim returns to their own country, and then comes back to perform Ifrad Hajj, in this case they do not have to do anything.

Source: Fatwas of IbnBaz

Q: I used to tell those who were performing ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) that they have to perform Tawaf-ul-Wada‘ (circumambulation around the Ka‘bah on leaving Makkah) when leaving the Sacred City (Makkah) but I heard that there is no Tawaf-ul-Wada‘ for ‘Umrah. I hope you can give me a detailed explanation about this issue.

A: Performing Tawaf-ul-Wada‘ is obligatory upon whoever makes a pilgrimage to Allah's Sacred House when they want to leave. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said: "The people were commanded that the last thing they should do is to circumambulate the House, but an exception was made for menstruating women." (Agreed upon by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) He also said: The people used to return from every path, so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘None among you should depart until the last thing they do is to circumambulate the House.’ (Related by Ahmad and Muslim) Based on the context, this is a command to the pilgrims performing Hajj, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said it at the end of Hajj, directing the pilgrims performing Hajj.

As for a person who performs ‘Umrah, they do not have to perform Tawaf-ul-Wada‘, but it is an act of Sunnah for them to circumambulate the Ka‘bah when they want to leave. There is no evidence that it is obligatory, besides the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not perform Tawaf-ul-Wada‘ when he left Makkah after performing ‘Umrat-ul-Qada’ (‘Umrah performed instead of the ‘Umrah the Prophet was prevented from completing), as far as we know from his Sunnah.

May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions!

Q: Is it correct that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed ‘Umrah in the month of Rajab?

A: The widely known opinion of the scholars is that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not perform ‘Umrah in the month of Rajab, but that all his ‘Umrahs were performed in Dhul-Qa‘dah. Nevertheless, it was authentically reported from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed ‘Umrah in Rajab, yet `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that he was mistaken in that. She added that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not perform ‘Umrah in Rajab. The rule followed in Usul-ul-Fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence) is that an affirmative report takes precedence over a negating one. Perhaps `Aishah and those who agree with her opinion did not memorize what Ibn ‘Umar memorized. With Allah is the success!

Source: Fatwas of IbnBaz

Q: I am keen on offering prayer in congregation. I ask your Eminence to guide me as to what I should do with regard to Salah. Besides, what shall I do if I want to go to Makkah to perform ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage). May Allah reward you with abundant good.

A: All praise be to Allah Alone, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger, and his family and Companions.

If the situation is as you mentioned, there is nothing wrong with your Salah and doing Tawaf (circumambulation around the Ka‘bah) even if some urine comes out of you, so long as it is dripping continuously, because you come under the same ruling as urinary incontinence patients. So you have to perform Istinja’ (cleansing the private parts with water after urination or defecation) when the time for every Salah comes, then make Wudu’ (ablution) for Salah, after which it will not matter what comes out of you until the due time for the next Salah comes.

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.

Q: My sister died a long time ago, and I would like to perform Hajj and 'Umrah and visit the Prophet's grave on her behalf. What is the ruling on this?

A: If she was a legally competent person, you can perform Hajj and `Umrah on her behalf, provided that you have performed Hajj and `Umrah yourself. As for visiting the Prophet's grave, it is impermissible to set out for that purpose, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, Never set out except for three Masjids (mosques): Al-Masjid Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah), Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem) and Al-Masjid Al-Nabawy (the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah). A person can only set out to offer Salah (Prayer) in Al-Masjid Al-Nabawy, and consequently greet the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the two Sahabah (Companions, may Allah be pleased with them) buried beside him. This cannot be performed on behalf of another person.

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.

Question and answers

Q: what is the difference between the Hajj and Umra?

A: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

Linguistically, Hajj means repairing to a place for the sake of visit of something glorified, and in the terminology of Shari'ah, it implies the repairing to the House of Allah to observe the necessary devotions as Ihram, Wuquf at Arafah and al-sa'e in a specified time (Shawwal, Zul-Qa'da and Zul-Hijjah).

Umrah means literally a visit, and in Shari'ah it means a visit to the House of Allah at anytime of the year without standing at Arafa, i.e. it consists of Tawaf around the Ka'ba, Sa'e between Safa and Marwa in the state of Ihram. Other actions as Rami, staying at Mina are only related to Hajj. Allah knows best.

Q: Performed 'Umrah without shortening the hair from the entire head

A: All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

First of all, it should be mentioned that if you had intended to perform ‘Umrah when you first went from Sweden to Jeddah, then you were obligated to assume the state of Ihraam from the Meeqaat by which the plane passed and it was not permissible for you to delay assuming the state of Ihraam until you arrived at Jeddah. Hence, you are obligated to offer a sacrifice which should be slaughtered (in Makkah) and distributed among the poor in Makkah as you neglected one of the obligations of ‘Umrah which is assuming the state of Ihraam from the Meeqaat.

However, if you had not intended to perform ‘Umrah when you went to Jeddah, and when you were in Jeddah you had the intention to perform ‘Umrah, then you were right to assume the state of Ihraam from Jeddah, and in this case, you are not required to do anything.

As regards shortening a small portion of your hair in the two consecutive ‘Umrahs, then if you had shortened or shaved three hairs – as it appears from the question that you did so – then you became out of the state of Ihraam according to many jurists ﷺ. The Fiqh Encyclopedia reads: “…The obligatory amount (of the hair shaved or shortened to terminate the state of Ihraam) is shaving or shortening the hair of the entire head according to the Maaliki and Hanbali Schools, and at least a quarter of the hair of the head according to the Hanafi School, and at least three hairs according to the Shaafi’i School.”

However, in the future, you should shave or shorten hair from all parts of your head as a way of avoiding the difference of opinion among the scholars and following the Sunnah. For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 115567 and 84306.

Allaah Knows best.

Q: Can a pilgrim perform two [consecutive] ‘Umrahs (minor pilgrimage) or more, while in the same [garb and state of] Ihraam (ritual consecration), without taking it off except after he is done? Please advise.

A: All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Him, and that Muhammadﷺ, is His slave and Messenger.

Each ‘Umrah requires an individual [intention for] Ihraam, exactly as every prayer requires its own Takbeerat Al-Ihraam (opening act of prayer, with the utterance Allaahu Akbar (Allaah is Great)). It is not permissible for a Muslim to offer more than one prayer with a single Takbeerat Al-Ihraam. Similarly, he cannot perform more than one ‘Umrah while in the same Ihraam. There is no scholar – to the best of our knowledge – who has allowed this.

In order for the ‘Umrah to be complete, a pilgrim must end his Ihraam by shaving his head or shortening his hair. Only when he does that would he have done an ‘Umrah and no longer be in Ihraam. After that, he can perform another ‘Umrah with the same garb, [but a new intention] for Ihraam.

However, if he neither shaves nor shortens his hair, his first ‘Umrah would not be complete. Accordingly, even if he made [the intention for] Ihraam for another ‘Umrah, this state would be invalid and his Tawaaf would be just a voluntary act of worship, not part of the ‘Umrah. Also, his Sa’ee would not be [accepted as] one of its rites, because it is a pillar of ‘Umrah; and, it is not possible for the pilgrim to perform two same pillars for two different rituals with one Ihraam. Every ritual has its own ruling. Nevertheless, if he ended his Ihraam of the first ‘Umrah, he could go outside the Sanctuary and don Ihraam for another ‘Umrah.

Allaah Knows best.

Q: I traveled from the city of Abha intending to perform ‘Umrah and visit my relatives. During performing Tawaaf for ‘Umrah, I got my menstrual period and I stopped my Tawaaf. Is it permissible for me to travel to Jeddah and Taa‘if, then, return to Abha? Or should I wait until I become in a state of Tahaarah (ritual purity)?

A: All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad ﷺ, is His Slave and Messenger.

If your menstrual period came after assuming Ihraam for ‘Umrah, you are required to remain in the state of Ihraam until your menstrual period is over and you become in a state of Tahaarah. After that, you can perform your Tawaaf and Sa‘ee (walking between Mounts Safa and Marwah) and complete your ‘Umrah.

During the period in which you remain in the state of Ihraam, you must keep away from the violations of Ihraam that a pilgrim usually avoids in terms of avoiding perfume, wearing Niqaab and gloves, sexual intercourse with your husband, cutting hair or clipping nails, etc...

It is not permissible for you to terminate your Ihraam and not complete your ‘Umrah. The only alternative is to complete your ‘Umrah. If you travel to Jeddah or Taa‘if or returned home, you would still be in the state of Ihraam and required to keep away from the violations of Ihraam until you go back and complete your rituals of ‘Umrah.

Allaah Knows best.

Q: When I was performing ‘Umrah, I made Tawaaf between the Hijr and the Ka‘bah in the fifth and sixth round out of ignorance. What should I do?

A: All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammadﷺ, is His Slave and Messenger.

You should have learnt the rulings of ‘Umrah before performing it and these rulings state that the Hijr (the area within a U-shaped wall next to the Ka’bah) is actually part of the Ka‘bah, and making Tawaaf between it and the Ka‘bah does not count.

Thus, your ‘Umrah is not valid and you are still in the state of Ihraam. You must go back to Makkah to make Tawaaf and Sa‘ee (walking between Mounts Safa and Marwah), and cut or shorten your hair. The violations you committed out of ignorance do not require any sort of compensation if they are pertaining to self comfort, such as wearing form-fitting clothes, applying perfume or having sexual intercourse in ignorance. Violations which involve removal from the body, such as cutting the hair or clipping nails – for each such violation is a compensation of fasting, or giving charity or slaughtering a sacrificial animal.

Allaah Knows best.

Q: AS-SALAM-ALAIKUM, DURING RAMADAN ITS QUITE NATRUAL HARAM AREA IS OVER CROWDED, AFTER COMPLETION OF UMRA WE HAVE TO CUT OUR HAIR / SHAVE HEAD IN THIS PROCESS WE MAY MISS OUR COMPANY TRANSPORT & ALSO SEPARATED FROM OUR COMPANIONS. MY QUESTION IS WHETHER IT IS PERMISSIBLE TO SHAVE / CUT OUR HAIR WHEN WE REACH OUR CITY (TAIF, RIYADH, MADINA, ETC) WHILE STILL IN IHRAM CONDITION. OR IT IS BETTER TO CUT A FEW HAIRS IMMEDIATELY ON COMPLETION OF UMRA (AT MARWAH END) AND SHAVE / CUT WHEN WE REACH OUR CITY, PLEASE CLARIFY.

A: All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad ﷺ is His slave and Messenger.

If a person who is performing Hajj or 'Umrah delays shaving or trimming his hair until he returns to his country, he is obliged to offer a sacrifice according to the Hanafi and Maaliki scholars ﷺ contrarily to the view of the Shaafi'i and Hanbali Schools, but one is not obliged to offer a sacrifice if he delayed cutting or shaving his hair because he forgot or he does not know the ruling.

However, it is better for a person performing 'Umrah to shave or trim his hair just after finishing his 'Umrah, and he should do so in Makkah, in order to avoid the difference of opinion, and this is hasting to fulfilling the Commands of Allaah and being acquitted.

Nonetheless, if a person who performs 'Umrah is not able to shave or trim his hair due to the lack of time, as the questioner mentioned, then he may shave or trim his hair at any place inside the boundaries of Al-Harram area surrounding Makkah [the sacred precincts of Makkah lies between At-Tan'eem-north, Adhaah-south, Al-Jiraanah-east and Ash-Shumaysi-west], then he may travel afterwards.

Q: I want to know that while performing Umrah is drinking ZamZam (water) after offering two Raka'h behind MaqaamIbraaheem and before carrying out Sa'y is a Sunnah or otherwise. I have read lot of Hadeeth regarding benefits of ZamZam but have not found one which tells us to drink ZamZam in between Tawaaf/2 Raka'h and carrying out Sa'y. Lot of books here in Pakistan tells us to do it while one distributed in Makkah are quite on the subject. Please advise. May Allaah have His mercy on all of us Aameen.

A: All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

It is confirmed that it is desirable to drink ZamZam water after praying two Rak’as when finishing the circumambulation around the Ka’bah and before Sa'y (going between Safaa and Marwah). The evidence is what Imaam Ahmad ﷺ reported that JaabirIbn ‘Abdullaah ﷺ narrated that the Prophet ﷺ made circumambulation around the Ka’bah, quickening his steps in the first three rounds, and after completing the Tawaf, he ﷺ prayed two Rak’as. Then he went to ZamZam well and drank from it, and poured some water over his head. Then he returned again to the black stone and touched it, and then went to Safaa, and said: “We begin with what Allaah had began”, referring to verse 158 of chapter Al-Baqarah. [2:158]

Allaah knows best.

Q: I am sick with colon. I did my 'Umrah, and during Tawaaf around Ka'bah, I felled some gazes going from stomach, but I am not sure it is going, what to do? I repeat my 'Umrah again?

A: All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

Your 'Umrah is valid, InshaaAllaah, and you are not required to do anything because you were in doubt whether or not your ablution was invalidated. The Islaamic ruling is that certainty cannot be overruled by doubt. As long as you had ablution and then doubted whilst circumambulating around the Ka'bah that some gases might have come out of you but were not sure, then you are not required to do anything. It is reported by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim that 'AbbaadIbnTameem ﷺ told the Prophet ﷺ about a man who suspected that he passed some gases during prayer, and the Prophet ﷺ told him: "One should not leave his prayer until he hears a sound or finds a smell." The narration of Abu Hurayrah ﷺ reads: "If one feels something in his stomach and doubts whether or not he passed some gas or not, he should not leave the Mosque till he hears a sound (of passing wind) or finds a smell (of passed gas)." [Muslim]

Allaah knows best.

Q: What is the complete way to perform Umrah according to Quran and Sunnah for both man and woman?

A: All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad ﷺ is His slave and Messenger.

‘Umrah has three integral pillars without which it is invalid. These pillars are:

- Ihraam: It is a ritual state of consecration in which one intends to assume a state that temporarily prohibits certain matters, like wearing fragrance, cutting hair or clipping nails, sexual relations, etc.

- Performing Tawaaf (circumambulation) around the Ka'bah.

- Performing Sa’i (Marching between Safa and Marwah).

As for the obligations of the ‘Umrah, they are as follows:

- Entering into the state of Ihraam at the place of the Miqaat (One of the several places specified by the Prophet ﷺ, for the people to assume Ihraam at, on their way to Makkah, when intending to perform Hajj or 'Umrah) in case this Miqaat is between that person and Makkah. And when a person lives in Makkah (within the boundaries of the Haram, i.e. the consecrated circumference of the Holy Mosque), he should go out of it (Haram) in order to assume the state of Ihraam.

- Shaving the head or trimming the hair (shaving the head is only for men).

He who neglects any of these two obligations, he has to offer a sacrifice [slaughter an animal as an atonement].

As regards the recommended and desirable acts to be done before entering into the state of Ihraam, they are many, among which:

- Clipping the nails

- Shaving the pubic hair

- Performing Ghusl (a ritual bath)

- Putting on perfume

In regard to the recommended and desirable acts to be done after entering the state of Ihraam, they are as follows:

- Saying: LabbaykaAllahumma ‘Umrah (O Allaah! Here I am for ‘Umrah)

- Talbiyah: Saying LabbaykAllahummaLabbayk (O Allaah! I am obedient to Your Orders, I respond to Your Call) aloud for men and silently for women.

- Ishtiraat (setting a condition or declaring an exception): this is to say: "O Allaah! If any emergent impediment (sickness or the like) prevents me (from completing the rites), then the end of Ihraam will be wherever You will me to be."

As for the things recommended during the Tawaaf (circumambulating around the Ka'bah), they are as follows:

- Kissing the Black Stone provided it does not involve hurting or annoying others.

- Idhtibaa‘ (baring the right shoulder) for men

- Ar-Ramal during the first three circuits. Ar-Ramal means speeding up one's pace with small steps if possible. It is for men only.

- Observing Thikr (mention of Allaah) and supplications excessively.

- Performing two-Rak'ah (unit) prayer after finishing the Tawaaf.

The things recommended during Sa‘i include:

- Ascending the Safa and saying: "We begin with what Allaah began with."

- Trotting between the two green posts.

- Making Thikr excessively.

These are the integral parts, obligations, and recommended acts of ‘Umrah.

As for the description of ‘Umrah, it can be summarized as follows:

- The one intending to make ‘Umrah has to enter the state of Ihraam from one of the Mawaaqeet (plural of Miqaat) or beside it for those who are beyond them, or to enter the state of Ihraam from wherever he sets off. If he is a resident of Makkah, then he has to enter the state of Ihraam from any place outside the Haram zone such as At-Tan’eem.

- Then he is to keep saying Talbiyah till he sees the Ka'bah. He must perform the Tawaaf while in a state of purity, and when he finishes, he is to pray a two Rak'ah prayer behind the Maqaam (the place of the stone on which Ibraaheem (Abraham) stood while he and his son Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael) were building the Ka`bah).

- After that he proceeds to move between Safa and Marwah (Sa’i), then he shortens or cuts his hair. Hereby he finishes all the rites of ‘Umrah, and becomes free to do all the things which were prohibited to him before Ihraam.

The aforementioned integral parts, obligations, and recommended acts of ‘Umrah are applicable to women as they are to men, except for Idhtibaa‘ (baring the shoulder). Upon finishing ‘Umrah and becoming free from the state of Ihraam, a woman is recommended to clip her hair (by cutting a part of her braid as small as a finger tip), but not to shave it.

A woman is not supposed to cover her face with Niqaab (veil), nor to wear gloves when she is in the state of Ihraam, according to the saying of the Prophetﷺ: “A woman in a state of Ihraam is neither allowed to use Niqaab (cover her face) nor to wear gloves.” [Al-Bukhaari]